The capital city of Shalasia lies at the mouth of the river Lesh, just north of the vast Shalasa desert, on the coast just west of the large island of East Shalasia. (See regional map) Like the rest of the country's "mainland" of course, Shalaton in fact lies on the separated subcontinent that divides the Broken Sea from the Great Ocean between the Anvil and Channel Straits. The city of Shalaton itself is a vast, sprawling center of trade and commerce, its large and numerous stone buildings clustered around the river and harbor, but surrounded by endless-seeming fields of tents and pavillions in every landward direction -- even into the desert itself. Shalaton is always loud with the cries of tradesmen in daylight, and often well into the night. It is truly a city that never sleeps: Even in the wee hours of the morning, its perpetual flow of commerce and intrigue only shifts to a quieter tone and more secretive -- often more dangerous -- activity.
Population: At least 100,000 permanent residents, with some estimates exceeding 300,000. If travelers, merchants, and other visitors -- consisting in large part of desert nomad tribes who set up temporary encampents around the city, sometimes for months at a time -- bring the real total population of the city at any moment above 500,000. While the vast majority of the city's population is human, a small percentage -- but nevertheless an enormous number, particularly in the more squalid districts -- have some degree of goblin blood, and the city even tolerates a few beastmen of different varieties, at least in its most miserable areas, or as slaves. Some number of dwarven and elven merchants are usually also present, including a very small number (at least in proportion to the enormous overall population) who have settled down permanently ... and according to Berlokh, there is even a population of resident Sheltzin.
Government: The city of Shalaton is divided with its surrounding lands into a number of fiefdoms controlled by important Pashas attached to the Court of Shalasia. Local laws are established in different districts of the city by these individual lords, but all are ultrimately subject to the Sultan of Shalaton, whose presence in the palace makes itself felt across the entire city.
National Affiliation: The Imperial Sultanate of Shalasia
Chief Exports: Textiles, artwork, pottery, and iron implements and weapons, as well as refurbished, refashioned, or merely re-priced versions of the city's innumerable imports.
History
The river Lesh has been inhabited along most of its length since prehistoric times, and the river mouth has been an important port apparently since the first oceangoing ships were built on the Broken Sea. The city of Amfah-Lesh grew up there as nomads from the desert, farmers from the floodplains, and miners from the mountains came together with traders from the seas to exchange their goods. It has been the center of Shalasian government since the sack of Aphera over a thousand years ago, when the present Palace of the Sultan was built and the city of Amfah-Lesh was re-named Ge'ar-Sultanri. Its name was changed again almost four hundred years ago, following the Al-Samir revolution, to Shalaton -- the name it retains today.
Important Landmarks (extremely incomplete list)
Basilica of the Sultanate: The largest and most lavish temple to Athoth outside of Havandia -- or, according to some observers, in the entire world -- is the massive, ornate Basilica in central Shalaton. Its diamond-hearted Sun Tower and marble fountains are famed from Hei-Setesh to Illenia, and though the Eminence of Shalaton is officially the presiding priest, the Basilica is often addressed by Pasha Richella himself on important occasions. Whenever a service is in progress, the interior of the Basilica is filled with rank upon rank of the wealthy and powerful among the city's elite, while commoners throng in the enormous courtyard.
Fallen Church of Isiyes: Not far from the Palace and the Basilica lies the still-intact structure of an enormous church, much vandalized but virtually untouched by the ravages of time. This is because the ravages of time haven't yet been given much opportunity: The Church of Isiyes was a vibrant place of worship until its faith was outlawed in Shalasia following the recent Fall of Isiyes. Most or all of the vandalism -- including the theft of all its relics and ornaments and the destruction or defacement of most of its symbols of worship -- took place within the three months (much indeed within the first few days) through which the ban lasted, before it was lifted for those who acknowledged the subservience of Isiyes to Athoth. No attempt has been made however to restore the church since then; worshipers of Isiyes in Shalaton now perform their devotions in a lesser annex to the Basilica of the Sultanate, and no one else has seen fit to move into their former church. Improbable rumors about the place -- hidden treasure known only to the former high priest, hauntings, and the rest of the usual run of nonsense associated with abandoned buildings -- are already current in certain quarters, and the ruin's steeple is still adorned by the skull of the last high priest of Isiyes, its bone long since stripped clean by carrion birds.
Grand Shipyard: Though all its wood is imported -- from countless nations around the sea -- the Grand Shipyard of the Sultanate is reputedly the greatest (and certainly the oldest and most extensive) ship-building and repair facility in the known world. The Shalsian government Naval Yard lies across the mouth of the river Lesh from the extensive Palace grounds, but is small in comparison with the vast merchant yards stretching out beyond, toward the city docks. The quality and number (or even existence) of drydocks among the slipways and construction yards noticably declines with distance from the Naval Yard, and the regular city docks, beyond the far end of the Grand Shipyard, include some of the most squalid neighborhoods in all of Shalaton (so long as certain portions of the Tent City are excluded) -- but a few wealthy merchants do see to it that certain neighborhoods around their private docks are well-policed and largely free of both drunken sailors and those who like to prey upon them.
Offices of The Day: A large stone building -- in fact a converted warehouse -- that backs on the river Lesh in east-central Shalaton now houses the staff, equipment, records, and secrets of The Day, the only daily newspaper known to Black Steel personnel, and the paper with the widest circulation. The means by which the paper is produced -- an endless-seeming quantity of identical scrolls -- is something of a mystery, though not perhaps unique: Thorm Casati reports that the Dwarves of Korv appear capable of producing books in similarly inexhaustible-seeming quantitites. The Day brings in news from all around the city, and even from distant lands, through a network of specialized researchers and reporters, and disseminates it at absurdly low prices -- barely more than the cost of parchment and ink -- across the city.
Palace of the Sultan: The ever-expanding palace complex of the Sultan of Shalaton includes grounds that extend far along the south bank of the river Lesh from its mouth, and well along the coast to the south. The central Hall and Court have remained essentially unchanged since their construction more than a millenium ago, but its wings and towers have been expanded, and outbuildings added and extended, over the centuries. At present, the palace complex includes not only the home and court of the Sultan, but those of several important Pashas, a number of embassies, including Black Steel's, and separate theaters and dining houses, as well as extensive and carefully-husbanded gardens.
Solo's: While it wouldn't (yet?) make most travelers' lists of important city landmarks, Solo's Restaurant is developing a reputation with the wealthy citizens of the city, and it is naturally important to Black Steel since it is owned and operated by a member of the Black Steel cabinet. Solo's is famous for its unusual layout and entertainment, but more especially for its fare, which includes authentic Grat'han dishes and ice-cold beverages and desserts (thanks to the cold-storage chamber maintained by Theril's sorcery).
Tent City: While Black Steel's activities have mostly occurred within the "permanent" core of the city, consisting mostly of stone buildings concentrated around the coastline and the river Lesh, the majority of Shalaton's real population lives (or at least temporarily stays) and works or trades in the tents and pavillions that perpetually cover the fields and sands surrounding the city proper. Many of these residents are desert nomads passing through and stopping to trade, but they also include numerous merchants who particularly seek business with the nomads in their own style, and large numbers of people who simply can't afford permanent housing. The vast majority of the city's business is actually transacted in the Tent City, in temporary bazaars and open markets, though most of the goods bought and sold here pass through the permanent sections of the city in one form or another as it travels to or from ships ... and much of the wealth from these transactions winds up lining the pockets of merchants who live in the better neighborhoods there. Of course, the Tent City is also the region most frequented by the city's numberless, oft-thriving /illegal/ "businesses."
Villa District: Many of the powerful merchants and minor Shalasian nobles who make Shalaton their home live in the various stone villas and mansions, mingled with parks, shrines, museums, and certain highly-specialized businesses that discreetly cater to such whims as the wealthy people of Shalaton wish to follow close to -- but not within -- their homes.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Scabbard-Edge Confederation
Known as "The Black Steel government" in everyday parlance, or even just "Black Steel," the federal government that oversees The Scabbard, Thornton, and the rest of The Edge is officially known as "The Scabbard-Edge Confederation" on diplomatic papers, and in any context where it sounds more impressive or appropriate. In these contexts, the name generally carries the implication that "The Edge" includes most of the jungles and coastline between the Great Divide and The Scabbard, though in reality Black Steel controls only a few small areas in the region, mostly in the immediate vicinity of Thornton. (See regional map.)
The federal government handles foreign relations, from diplomatic negotiations to trade rights to the national defense, but imposes few domestic laws -- all of the few relating either to dealings with foreign people and foreign powers, to establishing basic freedoms for all its citizens that no local government can deny, or to making it possible for the federal government to perform its function. No domestic taxes are imposed; the federal government receives all of its income through customs tariffs and (extremely widespread) investments in local businesses. Local governments have a high degree of local autonomy however, and may impose their own taxes and laws so long as they fall within the laws of the Confederation as a whole. Local rule has shown a tendency toward government by some form of popular vote, but this is not strictly required according to Confederation law -- indeed, as Alluarten and Thestrinarra (and for a long time, the town now known as Thornton) demonstrate, there is no strict requirement for any local government to exist at all -- so long as the people's basic freedoms are not denied by whatever power structure may form instead.
Government: The Scabbard-Edge Confederation's governing body consists of a 24-member cabinet, though there are also two members of the cabinet staff who are accorded voting privileges under certain circumstances, and all officially-appointed ambassadors have the right to introduce legislation, though not to vote on them. The full cabinet meets only occasionally, and its primary role at present is to confirm, reconcile, or overturn the provisional decisions passed by "Interim Councils" -- which amount to cabinet meetings that require smaller, and therefore more achievable, quorums.
History: Black Steel's original leadership was a tight-knit group initially driven together by circumstances and necessity on Lost Soul's Island off the Fire Coast, and forged into a unit by the need to resist their would-be masters in the pirate fiefdom that soon claimed them for its own. This original core prepared and led a group of sailors and warriors, disgruntled with their pirate leadership, to escape the fiefdom and come south to the Broken Sea, their ships laden with recovered pirate treasure. With the development and growth of The Scabbard and later The Edge, the original core has expanded to meet the needs of the people they rule, and whom they serve.
The Scabbard-Edge Confederation has evolved organically into its present form as a series of compromises between its various component factions: Between members of the original Black Steel leadership, later important additions to its ranks, and the towns of The Scabbard and Thornton. As the needs of the young nation have changed, the Cabinet has evolved to meet them, maneuvering the people best-suited to handling the needs of the nation into the best positions from which to do so.
Key government figures: (The Central Cabinet)
Brenlyth Mytras: The Scabbard's highest elected official, the chairman of its Town Council, always represents the Confederation's capital city on the Central Cabinet as Minister of the Scabbard. The current office-holder, Brenlyth Mytras, is a the innovative head of the progressive political party that won this year's Scabbard election in a landslide.
Minister Grynne: Friendly, unassuming, and sometimes shy, Grynned heads Black Steel's Ministry of the Interior, and can always be seen around The Scabbard, keeping an eye on the nation's investments and his ministry's projects around the city. He is quietly competent at the wide-ranging duties of his job, and probably knows every one of the thousands of Scabbard citizens by name.
Admiral Lynethizon: Black Steel's Minister of the Navy is thoroughly familiar with all forms of battle on the high seas; he learned some of his dirtiest tricks in the course of many years as a pirate captain before throwing over his pirate lord to escape with Black Steel. Though his first responsibility is for the flagship Avenger, Lynethizon's responsibilities on the Central Cabinet include ensuring the safety of Black Steel's extensive transport fleet and the many civillian ships that make its harbors their ports of call. He and Scaelorrel naturally work very closely together, to the point where some like to say that Lynethizon is actually Assistant Minister of Defense and Scaelorrel the Assistant Minister of the Navy.
The Honorable Matrix: Black Steel's Foreign Minister and ambassador to Shalasia (the title of "Honorable" is traditionally granted to all ambassadors; it is not a reflection on her character) is an expert negotiator and diplomat; it was Matrix who famously brokered the peace treaty now in force between Shalasia and Espava. She can dominate a room with the sheer force of her commanding presence, in part perhaps simply because of her devastating beauty. Matrix gives everything to her career and the Confederation's foreign interests as a matter of course; though it is said to be a love match, this surely has informed her engagement to be married to Pasha Fokahre, an important member of the Court of Shalaton, with major land-holdings in the iron-rich hills of northern Shalasia.
Chairman Noble: The head of the Cabinet and chair of its meetings, Noble resides in The Scabbard and rarely leaves -- except on vitally important occasions such as the battle for Kaiimar, on which he went to lead Black Steel's troops personally. He is deeply attached (though not officially engaged) to Captain Goldenrod, the Minister of Court Affairs and head of one arm of the Trident -- Black Steel's primary military force.
General Scaelorrel: An expert strategist and tactician, the Black Steel Minister of Defense is responsible for the overall disposition of the nation's armed forces, especially including its Trident rapid-response teams. Scaelorrel is regularly consulted by the other members of the Central Cabinet, to ensure that key locations can be properly defended, and their plans and initiatives will not endanger national security.
The federal government handles foreign relations, from diplomatic negotiations to trade rights to the national defense, but imposes few domestic laws -- all of the few relating either to dealings with foreign people and foreign powers, to establishing basic freedoms for all its citizens that no local government can deny, or to making it possible for the federal government to perform its function. No domestic taxes are imposed; the federal government receives all of its income through customs tariffs and (extremely widespread) investments in local businesses. Local governments have a high degree of local autonomy however, and may impose their own taxes and laws so long as they fall within the laws of the Confederation as a whole. Local rule has shown a tendency toward government by some form of popular vote, but this is not strictly required according to Confederation law -- indeed, as Alluarten and Thestrinarra (and for a long time, the town now known as Thornton) demonstrate, there is no strict requirement for any local government to exist at all -- so long as the people's basic freedoms are not denied by whatever power structure may form instead.
Government: The Scabbard-Edge Confederation's governing body consists of a 24-member cabinet, though there are also two members of the cabinet staff who are accorded voting privileges under certain circumstances, and all officially-appointed ambassadors have the right to introduce legislation, though not to vote on them. The full cabinet meets only occasionally, and its primary role at present is to confirm, reconcile, or overturn the provisional decisions passed by "Interim Councils" -- which amount to cabinet meetings that require smaller, and therefore more achievable, quorums.
History: Black Steel's original leadership was a tight-knit group initially driven together by circumstances and necessity on Lost Soul's Island off the Fire Coast, and forged into a unit by the need to resist their would-be masters in the pirate fiefdom that soon claimed them for its own. This original core prepared and led a group of sailors and warriors, disgruntled with their pirate leadership, to escape the fiefdom and come south to the Broken Sea, their ships laden with recovered pirate treasure. With the development and growth of The Scabbard and later The Edge, the original core has expanded to meet the needs of the people they rule, and whom they serve.
The Scabbard-Edge Confederation has evolved organically into its present form as a series of compromises between its various component factions: Between members of the original Black Steel leadership, later important additions to its ranks, and the towns of The Scabbard and Thornton. As the needs of the young nation have changed, the Cabinet has evolved to meet them, maneuvering the people best-suited to handling the needs of the nation into the best positions from which to do so.
Key government figures: (The Central Cabinet)
Brenlyth Mytras: The Scabbard's highest elected official, the chairman of its Town Council, always represents the Confederation's capital city on the Central Cabinet as Minister of the Scabbard. The current office-holder, Brenlyth Mytras, is a the innovative head of the progressive political party that won this year's Scabbard election in a landslide.
Minister Grynne: Friendly, unassuming, and sometimes shy, Grynned heads Black Steel's Ministry of the Interior, and can always be seen around The Scabbard, keeping an eye on the nation's investments and his ministry's projects around the city. He is quietly competent at the wide-ranging duties of his job, and probably knows every one of the thousands of Scabbard citizens by name.
Admiral Lynethizon: Black Steel's Minister of the Navy is thoroughly familiar with all forms of battle on the high seas; he learned some of his dirtiest tricks in the course of many years as a pirate captain before throwing over his pirate lord to escape with Black Steel. Though his first responsibility is for the flagship Avenger, Lynethizon's responsibilities on the Central Cabinet include ensuring the safety of Black Steel's extensive transport fleet and the many civillian ships that make its harbors their ports of call. He and Scaelorrel naturally work very closely together, to the point where some like to say that Lynethizon is actually Assistant Minister of Defense and Scaelorrel the Assistant Minister of the Navy.
The Honorable Matrix: Black Steel's Foreign Minister and ambassador to Shalasia (the title of "Honorable" is traditionally granted to all ambassadors; it is not a reflection on her character) is an expert negotiator and diplomat; it was Matrix who famously brokered the peace treaty now in force between Shalasia and Espava. She can dominate a room with the sheer force of her commanding presence, in part perhaps simply because of her devastating beauty. Matrix gives everything to her career and the Confederation's foreign interests as a matter of course; though it is said to be a love match, this surely has informed her engagement to be married to Pasha Fokahre, an important member of the Court of Shalaton, with major land-holdings in the iron-rich hills of northern Shalasia.
Chairman Noble: The head of the Cabinet and chair of its meetings, Noble resides in The Scabbard and rarely leaves -- except on vitally important occasions such as the battle for Kaiimar, on which he went to lead Black Steel's troops personally. He is deeply attached (though not officially engaged) to Captain Goldenrod, the Minister of Court Affairs and head of one arm of the Trident -- Black Steel's primary military force.
General Scaelorrel: An expert strategist and tactician, the Black Steel Minister of Defense is responsible for the overall disposition of the nation's armed forces, especially including its Trident rapid-response teams. Scaelorrel is regularly consulted by the other members of the Central Cabinet, to ensure that key locations can be properly defended, and their plans and initiatives will not endanger national security.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thornton and the Edge
Black Steel's first settlement on the edge of the Grat'han jungles (pun probably intended by somebody) lies on the northern delta of the Azarin river system, at the end of the Grat'han bay just south of Tornbring Vale, between Korv and the Anvil Strait. (See regional map) The fortified harbor town of Thornton watches over the rest of "The Edge" -- the fields and mines of Alluarten, Thestrinarra, and (in theory) Volkrendas: The three Counties officially presided over by Solo, Broxte, and Quazar. The rich natural resources of The Edge are themselves much in demand in Shalasian markets and beyond, but it has also become a center of trade for the local Grat'han natives, including a growing number of jungle villages who send barges of raw material down the river in exchange for luxury goods which their crews can carry home along the river banks. Overseas commerce with Thornton is currently handled mostly by the Silver Star, Merlesy, and Tower merchant companies out of Shalasia, with smaller shares handled by the Brookwind and Sea Ray companies, and by a number of smaller concerns based in or cleared by The Scabbard. Though now more settled than it was upon its inception a few years ago, Thornton is still a fortified town at the edge of civilization (pun presumably intended by someone once again) and is perpetually in danger from everything from Sea Raiders and warlike tribes of Grat'han natives to Seashore Sirens and werebeasts, to say nothing of monstrous creatures out of the jungles. Alluarten and Thestrinarra now serve as an increasingly effective buffer, but Lord Protector Charracks and his monstrous army still have their hands full holding the borders against still-more-monstrous beasts.
Population: Over 4,500 official citizens, primarily human, but also including a number of goblinoids and wolfmen.
Government: Law and trial in the city of Thornton is decided by popular referendum, with the quirk that voters willing to fight for their opinion are more heavily weighted than those who are not. Proof of willingness to fight is determined by actual "judicial combat" -- fought with bare hands at the center of justice, in a manner prescribed by law, and provider over by an elected official known as the town's Head Magistrate. The office of Head Magistrate is theoretically held for life, but the city's laws include provisions for removing the office-holder from power. The Counties of Alluarten, Thestrinarra, and especially Volkrendas, theoretically subject to their respective Counts, and policed by Charracks and his army when matters get completely out of hand, are essentially ruled by frontier law.
National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)
Chief Exports: Grat'han furs, grains, legumes, wine, meat, and preserves; fine jewelry, especially of platinum from the local mines; various Grat'han handcrafts, ranging from weapons to artwork.
History
The fertile Azarin river delta has long supported a wide range of human, goblinoid, and beastman tribes, changing and replacing one another from one generation to the next, if not every year or every season. Creating a permanent foot-hold on this dangerous coast was a major project for Black Steel, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Matrix, who arranged for the original fortifications with help from the Silver Star Merchant Company, who enjoyed exclusive trading rights with The Edge for the next two years, and still have one of the largest contracts for shipments in and out of Thornton to this day, controlling a full quarter of its maritime trade. With Lord Protector Charracks and his small army defending the fortifications as they were built, and then the town itself and its surroundings, the project appears so far to be a success -- Thornton itself has already grown to more than five times the permanent population of the largest-known Grat'han tribe ever known to inhabit the region -- but only time will tell how permanent the new settlement can be in the face of the Grat'han coast and its myriad dangers.
The Counties of Alluarten and Thestrinarra, theoretically the fiefdoms of Counts Solo and Broxte, respectively, were only surveyed properly within the past year, by the Rat Pack and Daryan's elite team, with some help from Counts Broxte and Quazar near the end. They owe their Counts only lip-service allegiance, as they are functionally just a collection of independent frontier communities, including the native tribes that lived there before The Edge came to be, and who by arrangement with Black Steel now contribute to a varying extent to -- and of course benefit from -- the increasing security of their homes in the dangerous region. The County of Volkrendas on the other hand, Count Quazar's theoretical fiefdom, is the nearest to the jungles of the three, and has never been properly surveyed. It is known to be home to a native tribe hostile to the idea of Black Steel rule, and may harbor dangers as yet unknown. Though a few hearty souls from Thornton have dared to move out there, it is a County of the Edge in name only.
Important Landmarks
Alluamona: The single largest native tribe in the three Counties lies on a branch of the Azarin river in Alluarten. (It is the Azarin itself that gives both Alluamona and Alluarten -- Grat'han words meaning roughly "River home" and "River's Tide" respectively -- their names.) Its people work closely with their neighbors from more civilized lands, and welcome visitors from the north.
Aluazarin: The full Grat'han name for the Azarin river means approximately, "River with the might of mountains." The many-branched Azarin probably originates among the mountains of the Great Divide, winding and branching far down through the jungles before it flows out into the Edge delta -- the largest and northernmost of its many outlets.
Charracks's Lot: A large open space near the center of Thornton, fenced off from the rest of the town, is owned by Charracks, and earmarked for the construction of his temple to Vamakhel, Maiden Pain. Awaiting further research, materials, and planning, the project has not as yet progressed even to preparing foundations.
Embassy House: Built -- and reserved when necessary -- to provide appropriate housing for foreign dignitaries, the Thornton Embassy House is modest by the standards of Shalasia or even The Scabbard, but stands out here by sheer contrast with the rest of the rough-and tumble city. It is rarely used by Black Steel officials for various reasons, but its rooms are regularly rented to important visiting merchants, or to wealthy citizens of Thornton itself for celebrations. It has proven especially popular for costume parties.
The Hedge: (Pun, as always, presumably intended by somebody, somewhere down the line.) The borders of Alluarten are defined by a thickly-tangled hedge of thorny Grat'han bushes: A spiky living wall averaging three meters in width and height, extending all along the hundred-kilometer land borders with Volkrendas and the wilds. The remnants of the branch that once extended between Alluarten and Thestrinarra can still be seen as well, but they have been much broken up by patrols, travelers, and settlers since Thestrinarra was included within the hedge-wall. The outward-facing Hedge grows increasingly wild and intermittent as well, as the powerful spells that originally brought it into being do not maintain its unnatural existence.
The Old Wall: The high stone walls that originally described the outer limits of the Edge settlement still contain the majority of Thornton's buildings, but the gates are now open at all hours except in time of actual imminent attack, as the town has increasingly spilled out into the near regions of Alluraten and Thestrinarra. The name itself of course is a local joke: Though vital in the Edge's early days and still useful in times of serious danger, the wall was outgrown very rapidly by its community: Construction of the "Old Wall" -- so-called today -- was completed less than three years ago.
The Thornton Project: The largest and best-known alehouse in the Edge, near the center of the Thornton proper, which functions when necessary as the town's center of government, now bears the name unofficially used for the government itself -- and to an extent, the town and all of the Edge. A "Thornton Project" is a local idiom, from the name of a prominent local citizen, for any scheme at once too risky to consider and too lucrative to refuse.
Population: Over 4,500 official citizens, primarily human, but also including a number of goblinoids and wolfmen.
Government: Law and trial in the city of Thornton is decided by popular referendum, with the quirk that voters willing to fight for their opinion are more heavily weighted than those who are not. Proof of willingness to fight is determined by actual "judicial combat" -- fought with bare hands at the center of justice, in a manner prescribed by law, and provider over by an elected official known as the town's Head Magistrate. The office of Head Magistrate is theoretically held for life, but the city's laws include provisions for removing the office-holder from power. The Counties of Alluarten, Thestrinarra, and especially Volkrendas, theoretically subject to their respective Counts, and policed by Charracks and his army when matters get completely out of hand, are essentially ruled by frontier law.
National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)
Chief Exports: Grat'han furs, grains, legumes, wine, meat, and preserves; fine jewelry, especially of platinum from the local mines; various Grat'han handcrafts, ranging from weapons to artwork.
History
The fertile Azarin river delta has long supported a wide range of human, goblinoid, and beastman tribes, changing and replacing one another from one generation to the next, if not every year or every season. Creating a permanent foot-hold on this dangerous coast was a major project for Black Steel, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Matrix, who arranged for the original fortifications with help from the Silver Star Merchant Company, who enjoyed exclusive trading rights with The Edge for the next two years, and still have one of the largest contracts for shipments in and out of Thornton to this day, controlling a full quarter of its maritime trade. With Lord Protector Charracks and his small army defending the fortifications as they were built, and then the town itself and its surroundings, the project appears so far to be a success -- Thornton itself has already grown to more than five times the permanent population of the largest-known Grat'han tribe ever known to inhabit the region -- but only time will tell how permanent the new settlement can be in the face of the Grat'han coast and its myriad dangers.
The Counties of Alluarten and Thestrinarra, theoretically the fiefdoms of Counts Solo and Broxte, respectively, were only surveyed properly within the past year, by the Rat Pack and Daryan's elite team, with some help from Counts Broxte and Quazar near the end. They owe their Counts only lip-service allegiance, as they are functionally just a collection of independent frontier communities, including the native tribes that lived there before The Edge came to be, and who by arrangement with Black Steel now contribute to a varying extent to -- and of course benefit from -- the increasing security of their homes in the dangerous region. The County of Volkrendas on the other hand, Count Quazar's theoretical fiefdom, is the nearest to the jungles of the three, and has never been properly surveyed. It is known to be home to a native tribe hostile to the idea of Black Steel rule, and may harbor dangers as yet unknown. Though a few hearty souls from Thornton have dared to move out there, it is a County of the Edge in name only.
Important Landmarks
Alluamona: The single largest native tribe in the three Counties lies on a branch of the Azarin river in Alluarten. (It is the Azarin itself that gives both Alluamona and Alluarten -- Grat'han words meaning roughly "River home" and "River's Tide" respectively -- their names.) Its people work closely with their neighbors from more civilized lands, and welcome visitors from the north.
Aluazarin: The full Grat'han name for the Azarin river means approximately, "River with the might of mountains." The many-branched Azarin probably originates among the mountains of the Great Divide, winding and branching far down through the jungles before it flows out into the Edge delta -- the largest and northernmost of its many outlets.
Charracks's Lot: A large open space near the center of Thornton, fenced off from the rest of the town, is owned by Charracks, and earmarked for the construction of his temple to Vamakhel, Maiden Pain. Awaiting further research, materials, and planning, the project has not as yet progressed even to preparing foundations.
Embassy House: Built -- and reserved when necessary -- to provide appropriate housing for foreign dignitaries, the Thornton Embassy House is modest by the standards of Shalasia or even The Scabbard, but stands out here by sheer contrast with the rest of the rough-and tumble city. It is rarely used by Black Steel officials for various reasons, but its rooms are regularly rented to important visiting merchants, or to wealthy citizens of Thornton itself for celebrations. It has proven especially popular for costume parties.
The Hedge: (Pun, as always, presumably intended by somebody, somewhere down the line.) The borders of Alluarten are defined by a thickly-tangled hedge of thorny Grat'han bushes: A spiky living wall averaging three meters in width and height, extending all along the hundred-kilometer land borders with Volkrendas and the wilds. The remnants of the branch that once extended between Alluarten and Thestrinarra can still be seen as well, but they have been much broken up by patrols, travelers, and settlers since Thestrinarra was included within the hedge-wall. The outward-facing Hedge grows increasingly wild and intermittent as well, as the powerful spells that originally brought it into being do not maintain its unnatural existence.
The Old Wall: The high stone walls that originally described the outer limits of the Edge settlement still contain the majority of Thornton's buildings, but the gates are now open at all hours except in time of actual imminent attack, as the town has increasingly spilled out into the near regions of Alluraten and Thestrinarra. The name itself of course is a local joke: Though vital in the Edge's early days and still useful in times of serious danger, the wall was outgrown very rapidly by its community: Construction of the "Old Wall" -- so-called today -- was completed less than three years ago.
The Thornton Project: The largest and best-known alehouse in the Edge, near the center of the Thornton proper, which functions when necessary as the town's center of government, now bears the name unofficially used for the government itself -- and to an extent, the town and all of the Edge. A "Thornton Project" is a local idiom, from the name of a prominent local citizen, for any scheme at once too risky to consider and too lucrative to refuse.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Scabbard
Black Steel's home base is the largest island in a small archipelago in the western reaches of the Broken Sea, near the center of the region bounded by the Grat'han jungles to the south, west, and (on a large peninsula) southeast; the Shalasa desert to the north; Port Alseyn to the northeast; and the Anvil Strait to the northwest. (See regional map) Much of the trade between Korv and the lands surrounding the Broken Sea now passes through The Scabbard, whether as a way-point or as a center of trade, and it has become the largest center of commerce between the Grat'han jungles and the northern world outside of Havandia itself. Increasingly, the trade of the eastern Broken Sea with distant lands like Eastport or even near ones like Arasta and Espava, has been passing through the Scabbard too, taking advantage of the Anvil Strait when weather or politics render passage through the Channel Strait too fraught with risk.
Population: Over 8,000 official citizens, including humans, elves, goblinoids, and several varieties of beastmen, plus a few very small minorities. The actual population at any given moment is usually above 10,000 if merchants, ships' crews, and other visitors are included.
Government: 100-man Town Council, its members elected annually with Council voting power proportional to the number of citizens who voted for them. 10 Daily Council members are elected from within the Council as a lawmaking committee, and a Head of Council is elected from among these ten to chair both the full Town Council and Daily Council, and serves personally and with an appointed assistant in the federal Cabinet as well.
National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)
Chief Exports: Carvings and carpentry, especially of rare woods; wine; fine jewelry, especially of coral and pearl; worked metal, especially weapons of highly carbonized steel.
History
The island on which The Scabbard is built, with its small natural harbor, was probably first colonized from Grat'ha by canoe or raft many centuries ago, and repeatedly in the ages since. Sometime within the past few generations, it was discovered by Arastan sailors -- victims of a shipwreck, according to the local story -- who built a village at the mouth of the island's little stream, sheltered within its natural harbor. The local stories vary, but the then-existing human population of the island was presumably absorbed, slain, or driven into the woods, where goblinoids and elves -- having presumably crossed the sea by the same means as early Grat'hans -- already had established firm footholds. Kerriville survived primarily as a fishing village, with only occasional contact with Korvan or Havandian merchants or Shalasian patrols, until the arrival of Black Steel.
The Black Steel ships that arrived at Kerriville harbor were the longships Blade and Mask, preparing to establish a base in the region for operations in the Broken Sea. The forces aboard the ships had been trained by pirates to raid, sack, and destroy towns and villages far better defended than Kerriville, and were heavily armed, supported by catapults in the ships' bows and their people's sorcerous powers. Moreover, they were expecting the arrival of reinforcements in the longships Mayhem and Siren before many more days could pass. Then-Captain Glaxtiks, commander of the Blade and the local fleet, regarded the battle as already won, if battle there would be, but decided to parley in spite of this. Never renowned for his skill with words or diplomatic savvy, he nevertheless arranged to speak personally before the people of Kerriville at the traditional site of their village councils: The church of Thesmos that dominated the Kerriville skyscape. Glaxtiks gathered a group of officers he regarded as capable of fighting their way free of any ambush, and went before the gathered people of the town. There, Glaxtiks made his famous speech -- famous for its bluntness and since-proven honesty -- in which he explained Black Steel's intention of building a large, wealthy, thriving, and powerful community on the site of Kerriville, and described the alternatives faced by the people of the village: They could become the origin and center of the new community, ruled lightly and helped to grow and develop by Black Steel, or they could perish under Black Steel blades so that the new town might be built over their dead bodies. Glaxtiks famously didn't stay to listen to the debate, but gave them time to decide their answer. He was gratified when they agreed to all his terms.
Since then, The Scabbard -- renamed some time after Black Steel's arrival -- has lived up to Glaxtiks's promise. With trade and immigration from around the Broken Sea and beyond, it has grown into a cosmopolitan city of nearly ten thousand humans, goblinoids, elves, and beastmen of various kinds, with many more passing through each month, and though it now addresses the outside world -- which it almost never did at all in its years as Kerriville -- as part of the larger Scabbard-Edge Federation, in which the old Black Steel forces play a leading role, The Scabbard itself is still ruled by its people -- among them, its longest residents, many of them prominent citizens, who form the nucleus around which the city has grown: The people who once were citizens of Kerriville.
Important Landmarks:
Canal Network: A series of deep, artificial saltwater canals lead from the harbor into the heart of The Scabbard's commerce district, used primarily for business dealings between the people of the city and the harbor's merfolk colony.
Church of Thesmos: Still the most popular center of worship in the city, much expanded since its days as the town center of Kerriville, the church is still presided over by High Priest Skeltzi, as it has been for a generation.
Demon's Circle: According to local legend, the Shalasian arch-wizard (and itinerant entertainer) "Magnifico" Mandello summoned a terrible demonic being in the center of this clearing, then banished it from the world for another century. The ground still shows char-filled ravines scored -- at least so the tales claim -- by its claws in an attempt to break free.
Fenris Amphitheater: A large and beautifully-appointed outdoor theater at the heart of the western "resort" section of the city, set a little apart -- but readily accessible -- from the just-completed villas and other upper-class guest lodgings. The Fenris has lately drawn quality performers from around the Broken Sea as well as the Scabbard itself, and while standing-room tickets are very affordable, the theater's private boxes are a hot commodity.
Guardian's Bronze: A sculpture on the harbor's breakwater depicts one of the city's recent heroes: A rough-looking woman with a broken nose, facing into the prevailing winds with a look of defiance, apparently in the act of working sorcery.
Merfolk Colony: A thriving community of merfolk has been steadily growing along with the Scabbard's land population, inhabiting the deeps of the harbor, ever more cooperative and involved in Scabbard politics and trade. Their kelp farms and nets, and some of the larger stone and coral structures of their village, can be seen from the water's surface around low tide when the winds are calm.
Scabbard Keep: The seat of the Scabbard-Edge Federation, functioning primarily as a meeting place, garden, and indoor theater, and the residence of official heads of state, but designed to take in and protect the citizens of the Scabbard in case of siege or other emergency.
Scabbard University: An increasingly important center of higher education with a sprawling wooded campus and a growing library. The university is heavily subsidized by the federal government, and the most knowledgeable Cabinet members offer semi-regular guest lectures in their fields of expertise.
Storytellers' Circle: The Scabbard's circular "town square" has become the site of a growing bardic tradition, with nightly performances by amateur tale-spinners and local favorites, organized by some of the city's leading citizens.
Population: Over 8,000 official citizens, including humans, elves, goblinoids, and several varieties of beastmen, plus a few very small minorities. The actual population at any given moment is usually above 10,000 if merchants, ships' crews, and other visitors are included.
Government: 100-man Town Council, its members elected annually with Council voting power proportional to the number of citizens who voted for them. 10 Daily Council members are elected from within the Council as a lawmaking committee, and a Head of Council is elected from among these ten to chair both the full Town Council and Daily Council, and serves personally and with an appointed assistant in the federal Cabinet as well.
National Affiliation: The Scabbard-Edge Federation (AKA Black Steel)
Chief Exports: Carvings and carpentry, especially of rare woods; wine; fine jewelry, especially of coral and pearl; worked metal, especially weapons of highly carbonized steel.
History
The island on which The Scabbard is built, with its small natural harbor, was probably first colonized from Grat'ha by canoe or raft many centuries ago, and repeatedly in the ages since. Sometime within the past few generations, it was discovered by Arastan sailors -- victims of a shipwreck, according to the local story -- who built a village at the mouth of the island's little stream, sheltered within its natural harbor. The local stories vary, but the then-existing human population of the island was presumably absorbed, slain, or driven into the woods, where goblinoids and elves -- having presumably crossed the sea by the same means as early Grat'hans -- already had established firm footholds. Kerriville survived primarily as a fishing village, with only occasional contact with Korvan or Havandian merchants or Shalasian patrols, until the arrival of Black Steel.
The Black Steel ships that arrived at Kerriville harbor were the longships Blade and Mask, preparing to establish a base in the region for operations in the Broken Sea. The forces aboard the ships had been trained by pirates to raid, sack, and destroy towns and villages far better defended than Kerriville, and were heavily armed, supported by catapults in the ships' bows and their people's sorcerous powers. Moreover, they were expecting the arrival of reinforcements in the longships Mayhem and Siren before many more days could pass. Then-Captain Glaxtiks, commander of the Blade and the local fleet, regarded the battle as already won, if battle there would be, but decided to parley in spite of this. Never renowned for his skill with words or diplomatic savvy, he nevertheless arranged to speak personally before the people of Kerriville at the traditional site of their village councils: The church of Thesmos that dominated the Kerriville skyscape. Glaxtiks gathered a group of officers he regarded as capable of fighting their way free of any ambush, and went before the gathered people of the town. There, Glaxtiks made his famous speech -- famous for its bluntness and since-proven honesty -- in which he explained Black Steel's intention of building a large, wealthy, thriving, and powerful community on the site of Kerriville, and described the alternatives faced by the people of the village: They could become the origin and center of the new community, ruled lightly and helped to grow and develop by Black Steel, or they could perish under Black Steel blades so that the new town might be built over their dead bodies. Glaxtiks famously didn't stay to listen to the debate, but gave them time to decide their answer. He was gratified when they agreed to all his terms.
Since then, The Scabbard -- renamed some time after Black Steel's arrival -- has lived up to Glaxtiks's promise. With trade and immigration from around the Broken Sea and beyond, it has grown into a cosmopolitan city of nearly ten thousand humans, goblinoids, elves, and beastmen of various kinds, with many more passing through each month, and though it now addresses the outside world -- which it almost never did at all in its years as Kerriville -- as part of the larger Scabbard-Edge Federation, in which the old Black Steel forces play a leading role, The Scabbard itself is still ruled by its people -- among them, its longest residents, many of them prominent citizens, who form the nucleus around which the city has grown: The people who once were citizens of Kerriville.
Important Landmarks:
Canal Network: A series of deep, artificial saltwater canals lead from the harbor into the heart of The Scabbard's commerce district, used primarily for business dealings between the people of the city and the harbor's merfolk colony.
Church of Thesmos: Still the most popular center of worship in the city, much expanded since its days as the town center of Kerriville, the church is still presided over by High Priest Skeltzi, as it has been for a generation.
Demon's Circle: According to local legend, the Shalasian arch-wizard (and itinerant entertainer) "Magnifico" Mandello summoned a terrible demonic being in the center of this clearing, then banished it from the world for another century. The ground still shows char-filled ravines scored -- at least so the tales claim -- by its claws in an attempt to break free.
Fenris Amphitheater: A large and beautifully-appointed outdoor theater at the heart of the western "resort" section of the city, set a little apart -- but readily accessible -- from the just-completed villas and other upper-class guest lodgings. The Fenris has lately drawn quality performers from around the Broken Sea as well as the Scabbard itself, and while standing-room tickets are very affordable, the theater's private boxes are a hot commodity.
Guardian's Bronze: A sculpture on the harbor's breakwater depicts one of the city's recent heroes: A rough-looking woman with a broken nose, facing into the prevailing winds with a look of defiance, apparently in the act of working sorcery.
Merfolk Colony: A thriving community of merfolk has been steadily growing along with the Scabbard's land population, inhabiting the deeps of the harbor, ever more cooperative and involved in Scabbard politics and trade. Their kelp farms and nets, and some of the larger stone and coral structures of their village, can be seen from the water's surface around low tide when the winds are calm.
Scabbard Keep: The seat of the Scabbard-Edge Federation, functioning primarily as a meeting place, garden, and indoor theater, and the residence of official heads of state, but designed to take in and protect the citizens of the Scabbard in case of siege or other emergency.
Scabbard University: An increasingly important center of higher education with a sprawling wooded campus and a growing library. The university is heavily subsidized by the federal government, and the most knowledgeable Cabinet members offer semi-regular guest lectures in their fields of expertise.
Storytellers' Circle: The Scabbard's circular "town square" has become the site of a growing bardic tradition, with nightly performances by amateur tale-spinners and local favorites, organized by some of the city's leading citizens.
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Unknown
Some sentient races so rarely interact with human beings as to be known only to true scholars -- or visitors to Night Harbor, where impossible-seeming encounters occur nightly. Legends persist as well, in some societies, about sentient beings of types completely unknown to Black Steel. Some unique cases may indeed exist of individuals bearing no resemblance to any known sentient species, presumably brought into being by sorcery, but fiction and fancy certainly include entities -- sentient and otherwise -- that never have existed, and even that never could. Sometimes, as well, descriptions fail so utterly to convey the thing described that they are worse than useless: Describing merfolk as "half man, half fish" is merely misleading, but this type of description grows ridiculous in (too-numerous) extreme cases. A traveler from the north who sees a horned viper in the Shalasa desert might return and exaggerate it in the telling to "the body of a serpent, the strength of a lion, and the horns of a goat," and it might come in time to be depicted as the most chimerical of mythical beasts, mingling the features of all three of these animals in whatever fashion strikes the artist's fancy, so that the description passed down to future generations bears no relation whatever to the desert snake itself. For this reason, sentient creatures never yet encountered by Black Steel personnel will not be included here unless described with sufficient precision and consistency by reliable witnesses that their existence can be attempted to be believed.
It nevertheless remains possible that sentient species may exist -- perhaps even many of them -- of which Black Steel personnel as yet have no knowledge at all. Though far-reaching, Black Steel's explorations have certainly not taken its people everywhere, nor have they been exhaustive even in those regions -- such as the tangled Grat'han jungles -- into which they have made forays repeatedly. Indeed, there are some sentients with whom Black Steel personnel have communicated personally, particularly in Night Harbor, while learning almost nothing about the true nature of their species:
One wine dealer in Night Harbor, from whom the Rat Pack made a number of purchases, appeared to be one of the legendary beasts known as "Spell Drinkers" -- a many-limbed beast that reputedly sucks in sorcerous power the way humans suck in breath, and uses that power to weave sorceries of its own with its long, gangly three-fingered limbs. The Rat Pack, none of whose members have any sorcerous vision, could neither confirm nor deny the creatures' reputation, but a number of Black Steel members witnessed one apparently making use of its power in performances -- and later, a deadly duel -- with the Shalasian wizard "Magnifico" Mandello, who managed to overcome it and destroy it entirely.
Another denizen of Night Harbor, known to the Rat Pack as Arrow, appeared entirely human, but proved able to change her shape at an instant's notice, even to forms that were not human-like at all. The extent and origins of this ability, her true form, and the nature of such other capabilities as she might possess, were not discovered before she and the Rat Pack parted company.
Berlokh used to have a quiet friendship with a creature he called "Eyes," a small, nocturnal being with large green eyes that seemed to glow, who lived in Shalaton and called himself a Sheltzin. "Eyes" implied that he was part of a community of some size in the city, and that most were highly adept at hiding. He also implied, but did not demonstrate, that at least some Sheltzin -- such as himself -- were capable of wielding sorcery. Berlokh has since lost touch with "Eyes," but Grynne believes at least one Sheltzin now resides in the Scabbard.
Grim, a some-time resident of Night Harbor, has described still stranger creatures who walk its streets, often with gory details about the fates of those who put themselves at such creatures' mercy. Some of these stories might even be true, though even these are no doubt, as Jarvis puts it, "strongly flavored with exaggeration and invention." Anyone who may wish to identify the kernels of truth in these stories -- or indeed which of Grim's stories even harbor a kernel of truth -- is certainly welcome to ask him and try.
It nevertheless remains possible that sentient species may exist -- perhaps even many of them -- of which Black Steel personnel as yet have no knowledge at all. Though far-reaching, Black Steel's explorations have certainly not taken its people everywhere, nor have they been exhaustive even in those regions -- such as the tangled Grat'han jungles -- into which they have made forays repeatedly. Indeed, there are some sentients with whom Black Steel personnel have communicated personally, particularly in Night Harbor, while learning almost nothing about the true nature of their species:
One wine dealer in Night Harbor, from whom the Rat Pack made a number of purchases, appeared to be one of the legendary beasts known as "Spell Drinkers" -- a many-limbed beast that reputedly sucks in sorcerous power the way humans suck in breath, and uses that power to weave sorceries of its own with its long, gangly three-fingered limbs. The Rat Pack, none of whose members have any sorcerous vision, could neither confirm nor deny the creatures' reputation, but a number of Black Steel members witnessed one apparently making use of its power in performances -- and later, a deadly duel -- with the Shalasian wizard "Magnifico" Mandello, who managed to overcome it and destroy it entirely.
Another denizen of Night Harbor, known to the Rat Pack as Arrow, appeared entirely human, but proved able to change her shape at an instant's notice, even to forms that were not human-like at all. The extent and origins of this ability, her true form, and the nature of such other capabilities as she might possess, were not discovered before she and the Rat Pack parted company.
Berlokh used to have a quiet friendship with a creature he called "Eyes," a small, nocturnal being with large green eyes that seemed to glow, who lived in Shalaton and called himself a Sheltzin. "Eyes" implied that he was part of a community of some size in the city, and that most were highly adept at hiding. He also implied, but did not demonstrate, that at least some Sheltzin -- such as himself -- were capable of wielding sorcery. Berlokh has since lost touch with "Eyes," but Grynne believes at least one Sheltzin now resides in the Scabbard.
Grim, a some-time resident of Night Harbor, has described still stranger creatures who walk its streets, often with gory details about the fates of those who put themselves at such creatures' mercy. Some of these stories might even be true, though even these are no doubt, as Jarvis puts it, "strongly flavored with exaggeration and invention." Anyone who may wish to identify the kernels of truth in these stories -- or indeed which of Grim's stories even harbor a kernel of truth -- is certainly welcome to ask him and try.